The present invention relates to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus, more specifically to generation of the image of a subject based on the magnetic resonance signal generated in the subject by emitting RF pulses to the subject in a static magnetic field space.
The MRI apparatus is widely used in many fields such as medical and industrial fields.
The MRI apparatus emits RF pulses to a subject in a static magnetic field space to excite the spin of protons within the subject by the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) phenomenon, then scans to obtain the magnetic resonance (MR) signals generated by the excited spin. The MR signals thus obtained by the scan are served as the raw data of a slice image, to generate the slice image of the subject (e.g., patent reference 1).
[patent reference 1] JP-A-2002-102201
When scanning an subject by using an MRI apparatus as have been described above, if the subject moves, the slice image generated may have some body move artifacts. For example, in case of the imaging of neck and esophagus of the subject, such body move as deglutition may cause the body move artifact, and decreases the image quality.
In order to prevent the decrease of the image quality due to the body move artifact, the subject is enforced to be externally tightened by fastening straps to suppress the body move while imaging is in operation.
However, there are cases in which the body move artifact develops in the slice image to decrease the image quality because the body move is not sufficiently suppressed.
In particular, since the internal body move within the body of the subject such as the epiglottis moving along with the deglutition is difficult to suppress by such means as a binding straps, the body move artifact may develop obviously in the slice image to significantly decrease the image quality.